THIS is what the province is planning for Midtown Oakville - 11 monoliths towering over their surroundings, jam packed with 12,000 people on just 5 ha of land. 

Scores of people across Oakville heard that our Council passed the Midtown Official Plan Amendment (OPA) in February and they think that means the TOC has gone away. WRONG! The OPA must be approved by the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs and we await that approval.

BUT... the TOC is totally under the control of the Province and if it decides to impose this growth on Oakville, the Official Plan can't protect us.

That's why it is SO IMPORTANT to continue to show our opposition to this plan.

If this level of development in Midtown is allowed to proceed, the results will be ruinous for all of Oakville

• Total gridlock on Trafalgar Road, QEW interchanges, Cornwall Road, Cross Avenue, Speers Road, Chartwell, etc. and others.
• Thousands of people stuck in a wasteland without schools, parks, emergency services or a host of other needs for daily life.
• Overloading on other areas and streets throughout Town that will be called on to provide these missing services to those who will need them - think schools, parks, community services, shopping for essentials, etc.
• Your tax bill will have to pay for a new city in the middle of Oakville. A hyper-density Midtown will have needs for services and Infrastructure will not be covered by the developers. The shortfall will be significant to support a community of this size and it will fall on ALL Oakville taxpayers

Watson & Associates Economists, one of Canada's leaders in their industry, were hired to undertake a growth analysis study on Midtown. You can read their report here. It contains the following highlights:

• Oakville’s population base is forecast to increase to 388,000 residents by 2051, with an annual average growth rate of 1.9%, or 5,500 people per year.

• Of that total, Midtown Oakville is expected to account for 11% the Town-wide population growth, with 17,800 people planned to be accommodated in this area, and is anticipated to require 8,400 total households, or just under 300 new households per year between 2021 and 2051. It is noted that occupied residential development is anticipated by 2029, representing just over 400 new households per year from 2029 to 2051.

In addition a Midtown Oakville Market Feasibility Analysis, was undertaken by N.Barry Lyon Consultants Ltd. You can read their report here. It contains the following highlights:

• GO transit and local bus routes do not drive housing demand to the same extent as subway service or LRT service as part of a wider local transit network;

• Most other similar communities to Midtown Oakville in the GTA have grown at modest paces – many averaging under 200 units absorbed annually, and few exceeding 400 units absorbed annually. Over the next decade, NBLC expects that demand for residential uses in Midtown Oakville could be in the range of 200 to 300 units annually.

•  While there are several applications in Midtown Oakville for towers over 50-storeys, and market conditions can change in the future, there is currently no market evidence that would suggest near-term absorption success for projects at this scale. Projects of a more modest scale are likely to face less absorption risk while accelerating the build out of built form and public realm.

• ... While these factors are influencing the average size of projects, the scale of proposals in many communities – including Midtown Oakville – is without precedence and market evidence. At a time when markets are soft and investors unlikely to return soon, developers seem to be seeking building heights that defy market logic.

In real terms, the TOC, situated on just 5 ha of land would take over 20 years to absorb the demand for housing. That leaves every other land owner in the Midtown area fighting for services such as water/wastewater/transportation capacities.

In considering the TOC, with more than 6,900 units, the image below tells the story. (click to enlarge).

• In January, Oakville Town Council passed a Motion to show opposition to the provincially-driven TOC in Midtown. Part of the Resolution stated that our Mayor and Council would strongly advocate to the developer, Distrikt, and the Province to respect and align the TOC with the recently approved Midtown OPA.

• Prior to the Provincial Election, then MPP, now Minister Crawford posted on Facebook, wrote in his newsletter and publicly pledged he did not support the current proposal for Midtown, which includes buildings as tall as 59 stories, as excessive and out of step with the character of our Oakville community.

Those commitments and pledges were made months ago! 

READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE

Last But Not Least ...

Midtown Similarities to Glen Abbey Golf Course

While Glen Abbey Golf Course was not a growth centre, and it isn't located immediately adjacent to a higher order level of transit, there are some striking similarities between it and the fight for Midtown.

• a population greater than the area can accommodate.
• insufficient hard infrastructure such as stormwater and roads to handle the population.
• traffic increases that would result in gridlock and overwhelm neighbouring areas.

Less than 10 years ago the Town of Oakville spent over 9-million dollars

to fight development at Oakville's Glen Abbey Golf Course. It even hired a lobbyist for 6 months to target provincial representatives.

Then MPP Stephen Crawford spoke out frequently in favour of saving Glen Abbey, telling the CBC "The number of residential units and residents that could potentially be moving in there is more than the area can handle." 

Why has Midtown and the opposition to the TOC not received the same level of support?

To date, residents of Oakville have received no communications, no public announcement, no report, no update or word on the actions, strategy, plans, or steps taken by Oakville Town Council or Minister Crawford on our behalf to strongly voice our continued opposition to the TOC with provincial ministries, the TOC or its developer partner.

A new e-mail "KEEP YOUR PROMISE" campaign is underway!

The latest ONLINE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN will send an e-mail to our Mayor & Council as well as Minister Stephen Crawford

Please take time to sign on. Please stand up with us and show your determination to put Oakville in charge of its own future.

Coronation Park Residents Association | pknight@cogeco.ca

www.coronationparkresidents.com